Grusso, Courage, and Konomiru each stared at Rei with disbelief, the man who had just utterly overwhelmed them.
Losing a one-on-one mock battle was frustrating, but it was at least comprehensible. However, despite it being three against one, they had lost without being able to mount any defense at all.
Even for rookies, Grusso and Courage had been confident in their combat abilities. That confidence made this defeat all the harder to swallow.
Courage came to his senses faster than Grusso and quickly scanned their surroundings. Mirene, who had suggested they fight Rei, and her party members Sulnin and Ekryl all looked as if Rei’s victory was a foregone conclusion. Even the other adventurers training nearby showed no signs of surprise while watching the fight.
(Is he really that powerful?)
As if reading Courage’s thoughts, Mirene clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention.
"Now, do you properly understand the gap in your abilities? And, as you can see, you should never judge someone's strength by their appearance."
"Mirene-san, who exactly is he...?" Courage asked, bewildered.
Deciding there was no point in dragging out the mystery, Mirene turned her gaze toward Rei.
"I suppose there's no reason to keep his name a secret. This is Rei. He’s a B-Rank adventurer. If you’re planning to make a living in Gilm, you’ve surely heard of him."
"Rei? ...Rei? You ever heard of him?" Grusso asked Courage.
Contrary to Mirene’s expectations, the name didn't immediately register with Grusso. Courage, however, was staring at Rei with his eyes and mouth wide open in pure shock. Konomiru was the same; his usual timid expression had vanished, replaced entirely by astonishment.
"The B-Rank adventurer Rei... You mean Crimson!?" Courage stammered.
"What!?"
At those words, Grusso’s eyes snapped wide. Crimson. It was the name of the adventurer who had single-handedly incinerated the Bestia Empire's army during the Spring War, earning himself a legendary alias in the process. Grusso had heard the rumors, and the stories had thrilled him.
He had imagined Crimson as a muscle-bound titan, not a small man—or rather, a boy—like the one standing before him. He wasn't alone; Courage and Konomiru had clearly shared the same mental image.
"Um... is this some kind of joke?" Courage asked timidly.
Ekryl let out a small sigh. "I can understand why you’d think that. But didn't you see the Gryphon Seto near the Guild when you arrived? Rei only returned to Gilm yesterday after a long absence, so the usual crowd of people who dote on Seto—though perhaps not to the same extent as Mirene-san—must have been swarming him."
Ekryl flicked a glance toward Mirene at the end of her sentence. It was an open secret that Mirene was obsessed with Seto. Normally a reliable party leader, she fell apart the moment the griffon was involved. At her worst, she loved him so much she might have actually claimed she wanted to marry him.
"Oh... now that you mention it, there was a crowd in the Guild's Tamed Monster space. We were in such a hurry to get to the training ground that we didn't stop to look," Courage muttered.
"Yeah, I definitely saw a crowd gathered there," Grusso added.
Konomiru nodded in agreement.
"Ahem. Anyway, that’s the reality of it," Mirene said, clearing her throat. "He is the genuine Rei, the B-Rank adventurer with the alias Crimson. Rei is an outlier in many ways, but this should prove that you can’t judge an adventurer by how they look. Of course, the opposite is also true—a muscle-bound giant might turn out to be a total pushover."
Mirene spoke as if trying to rebuild her own reputation after the mention of her obsession with Seto, but the rookies were already fixated on Rei. Since most adventurers retired at Rank C or D, high-rank adventurers like Rank A or B were rare. For a rookie, seeing one up close was a stroke of incredible luck. This was especially true for Rei, who disliked crowds and usually visited the Guild outside of peak hours.
"I heard rumors that Crimson wields a scythe larger than himself..." Courage said expectantly.
"Hmm? Oh, this?"
Rei pulled the Death Scythe out of his Misty Ring. The rookies’ eyes widened again as the massive weapon appeared out of thin air.
"So this is it... the Grim Reaper's Great Scythe wielded by Crimson."
"It's huge... it makes my battle axe look like a toy."
"Whoa..."
Alongside the Gryphon Seto, the scythe was the hallmark of Crimson. Because a scythe was notoriously difficult to master, very few people used one. A normal adventurer might go their entire career without ever seeing one this close.
Rei was showing the weapon to the rookies—and the other curious onlookers—when he noticed a figure approaching at a brisk pace. He recognized the characteristic cat ears and striking features immediately.
(Kenny?)
It was indeed Kenny, a receptionist from the Guild. Mirene and her party noticed her as well and watched with suspicious eyes, but Kenny ignored them entirely and spoke directly to Rei.
"Rei-kun, Rei-kun! You’ve been summoned. They want you at the Lord's Mansion immediately."
"The Lord's Mansion?"
The three rookies reacted in unison, their heads snapping toward Rei. Mirene’s party already knew Rei was on familiar terms with Daskar, but even Courage, despite his noble lineage, had never actually met the Lord of Gilm.
"I see," Rei muttered, unbothered by the stares. He could guess why he was being called. He assumed there had been progress regarding the Bestia Empire situation.
"Is this the urgent business you mentioned, Rei-kun?" Mirene asked.
"Most likely. Sorry, Mirene."
"No, it's fine. I've seen enough from the mock battle anyway. I don't know what you'll be up to, but be careful." She paused, her tone suddenly shifting as she radiated an intense, focused pressure. "Listen to me, okay? Under. No. Circumstances. Is Seto-chan to experience any pain. If anything happens to him... you understand, right?"
"Ah... yeah, I know, I know. I’ll be careful, don't worry."
Feeling himself being pushed back by the bizarre pressure radiating from her, Rei gave a quick answer, stored the Death Scythe back in the Misty Ring, and hurried out of the training ground.
"Wait for me, Rei-kun! I'll walk with you part of the way," Kenny called out, following him. Even if it was just the short distance back to the Guild, she wanted to spend time with him—and likely escape Mirene's looming presence as well.
"Well then," Mirene said, turning back to the rookies. "Now that Rei is gone, let's get back to work. As I've said, never judge a person's strength by their appearance. It's the most common trap for novices."
"Wait... but what about Rei-san?" Courage asked.
Mirene simply averted her eyes in silence.
"He’s an outlier in every sense of the word," Sulnin said, staring off into the distance with a hollow look in his eyes. "You'll stop worrying about him eventually."
The three rookies decided it was best not to push the matter. They turned their focus back to the instructions for tomorrow's goblin subjugation mission.
"Bandit subjugation?"
Rei asked for clarification after arriving at the Lord's Mansion and hearing Daskar’s unexpected request. Since the summons had been so sudden, he had assumed it was about the Bestia Empire, but the matter was entirely unrelated.
"That’s right. I'm not sure if you’ve heard, but a large bandit gang has appeared in the vicinity of Abuelo. It seems they migrated here from somewhere else."
"The frontier offers plenty of profit for those willing to take the risk, so I suppose it makes sense," Rei said.
Merchants and caravans traveling the frontier carried materials and monster parts found nowhere else, often alongside magic items, specialized weapons, and high-rank monster meat. They were prime targets for anyone looking to make a quick fortune. However, banditry in the frontier was high-risk, high-reward; the monsters were dangerous, and merchants rarely traveled without hiring skilled adventurers for protection.
"But haven't you dispatched the Knight Order or the Guard Force? The guards at the main gate told me Ranga was already out there."
"We have. However, since these men were bold enough to come to the frontier, they seem to be quite capable. Most importantly, they have extremely high mobility, and the Subjugation Force hasn't even been able to make contact with them yet. I want you to act as reinforcement. In exchange—consider it part of the reward—you may take whatever you like from the goods the bandit gang has likely hoarded. Within limits, of course."
"I see... that’s the reward. That is certainly an appealing offer," Rei murmured.
Daskar nodded. "They’ve been raiding merchants and travelers heading for the frontier, so there should be items of considerable value. I know you aren't particularly obsessed with money, but you're always looking for magic items like the magic tent I gave you."
Daskar turned a meaningful look toward him.
"True. I find magic items far more interesting than gold or silver."
"Well then, what do you say? Given that these bandits have been preying on frontier traffic, there's a high probability they have magic items that would suit your tastes."
"That is... very likely," Rei admitted. He weighed Daskar's words. The promise of magic items was tempting, but even without it, he intended to accept as a way to repay Daskar for his past support. Besides, considering how fast Seto could travel through the sky compared to Vihera and Theoreme on the ground, he still had plenty of time before he needed to leave.
"I'll do it. However, if possible, I'd like you to process this as a nomination request through the Guild."
"Understood. I'll take care of the paperwork on this end."
Daskar leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of relief. For Gilm, an increase in bandit activity was a serious threat that could discourage vital merchant traffic. But with Rei on the case, the bandits’ fate was essentially sealed.
"Give this to Ranga. He’ll understand the situation once he reads it." Daskar placed a single letter on his desk.
"You're quite well-prepared. Did you not think I would refuse?"
"I didn't think for a second that an obsessive collector like you would pass up a chance to snag new magic items."
As Daskar spoke as if he knew Rei’s hobbies better than Rei himself, the adventurer gave a wry smile and stored the letter in his Misty Ring.
"Alright. I'll head for Abuelo immediately."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
Rei gave a small bow to Daskar, who now bore the formal expression of Margrave Larkus, and left the office.